Proponents cite economic value, Opponents see interference

Gov. Martin O'Malley faces quite a conundrum involving a $200 million wind energy project: If he allows the project to go forward, he risks losing the multibillion-dollar Patuxent Naval Air Base operating in Maryland.

O'Malley has been inundated with letters, calls and face-to-face pleas urging him to veto a bill postponing the project. The developer warned that any delay will kill it.

Renewable energy is part of the governor’s legacy. His administration testified in opposition to the project postponement bill.

"Today, things are worse than they were when I left 35-40 years ago," said Maryann Peterman. She and her husband, Rick, live on a 142-acre farm in Somerset County in a house built by her family in 1840.

The retired teachers want to keep the property in the family for generations to come. They're hoping the wind has the power to change their lives and their neighbors' fortunes.

"We would welcome an opportunity for an additional income stream. The wind turbine that we are slated to get would give us that income stream," Rick Peterman said.

The Petermans agreed to lease their field to Pioneer Green Energy of Princess Anne for at least $20,000 a year. The company will build a 600-foot wind turbine -- one of 25 planned for the area. Another 25 turbines will be constructed later.

"(That’s) for a total of 150 megawatts, which would power about 45,000 homes with clean, pollution-free energy," said Pioneer Green Energy Vice President Adam Cohen.

The company chose Maryland because of the governor’s mandate for the state to use 20 percent renewable energy by 2022. The company has spent $4 million over the past five years ramping up the project.

According to a study by the University of Baltimore, the project will infuse $273 million into Somerset County. Initially, it will generate 529 jobs and as many as 64 permanent ones. Somerset will get $2.9 million in additional tax revenue each year.

"I tell you, when you are looking at one of the economically-challenged jurisdictions in the state, this is a big project," said Danny Thompson, the Somerset County director of economic development.

It's a really big deal in an area where unemployment is 10.4 percent, and 18.6 percent of the population lives below the poverty level.

But so far, one wind-measuring tower is the only sign of things to come.

Elected officials' opposition puts project in jeopardy

Opposition by elected officials representing the Patuxent Naval Air Station has jeopardized the project.

The base tests radar signatures of aircraft. It is concerned wind turbines will interfere with the station's radar systems.

St. Mary’s County Democrat Delegate John Bohanan pushed a bill through the General Assembly putting a moratorium on turbines for a year so MIT can study the impact.

"We need to look at the entire impact of that project. The economic impact, the environmental impact, and make sure it is right for our state," Bohanan said.

Turbine opponents argue that Patuxent, a multibillion-dollar economic engine for the state, will leave if the project lives.

"The Californians have been looking forward to pulling Patuxent out to California, and they have a huge, huge desert area where they would have no impact whatsoever," said Sen. Roy Dyson, D-St. Mary's County.

Pioneer Green Energy and the Navy hammered out an memorandum of understanding based on a solution offered by MIT researchers.

"If we shut down our turbines during testing times, the radar would not be impacted," Cohen said.

But elected officials intervened, stopping the agreement from going up the chain of command.

The Petermans consider the turbine project a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"I think it is an insidious kind of thing to have legislation of this sort where you have the economic interest of a well-developed area being pushed ahead of the most economic impoverished area of the state," Rick Peterman said.

According to the House of Delegates clerk, the governor was presented with the legislation on Thursday. He now has 30 days to sign it, let it go into effect without his signature or veto the measure.

The next bill signing is May 5.

Perhaps one clue in his thought process is, in early March, the Navy gave him a classified briefing on what's at stake.

LOWELL MELSER, WBAL. MARTIN O'MALLEY FACES QUITE A CONUNDRUM. IT IS A $200 MILLION WIND ENERGY PROJECT. IT WOULD BE A FINANCIAL BURDEN TO THE COUNTY. BUT HE RATE -- COULD RISK LOSING A NAVAL AIRBASE. AT ISSUE IS WHETHER WIND TURBINES WILL INTERFERE FREE ARE TESTING. THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN INUNDATED WITH LETTERS, CALLS, AND FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS. THEY WANTED TO VETO THE BILL. A DEVELOPER WARNS THAT ANY DELAY WILL KILL IT. RENEWABLE ENERGY IS PART OF HIS LEGACY. ONE CLUE IN HIS PROCESS? THE NAVY GAVE HIM A CLASSIFIED BRIEFING ON WHAT IS AT STAKE. : HE FELT THAT THINGS ARE WORSE NOW THAN THEY WERE WHEN I LAST 35 YEARS AGO. MARIANNE AND HER HUSBAND LIVE ON -- A FARM. HE GOT THE HOUSE THROUGH MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER. GOVERNMENT GRANDPARENTS. THIS IS THE WAY THE HOUSE LOOKS. THEY WANT TO KEEP THE PROPERTY IN THE FAMILY. THEY ARE HOPING THAT THE WIND HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES AND THEIR NEIGHBORS' FORTUNES. WE WOULD WELCOME AN OPPORTUNITY OR TRADITIONAL INCOME. THE WIND TURBINE THAT WE ARE SLATED TO GET WOULD GIVE US THAT INCOME STREAM. THIS FEELS -- THEY WILL BUILD A 600 FOOT WIND TURBINE. THERE ARE 25 PLANS FOR THE AREA. IT IS A TOTAL OF 150 MEGAWATTS. IT WOULD CLEAN POLLUTION. THE COMPANY CHOSE MARYLAND BECAUSE OF THE GOVERNOR' MANDATE. THE COMPANY HAS SPENT $4 MILLION OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS WRAPPING OF THE PROJECT. THIS IS THE ONLY SIGN OF THINGS TO COME. ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE, THE PROJECT WILL USE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. IT WILL GENERATE 599 JOBS. SOMERSET WILL GET 2.9 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE. WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED JURISDICTION, THIS IS A BIG PROJECT. A BIG DEAL IN AN AREA WHERE UNEMPLOYMENT IS HIGH. MANY PEOPLE LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL. OPPOSITION BY ELECTED OFFICIALS HAS JEOPARDIZE THE PROJECT. THEY HAVE RADAR SIGNATURES OF AIRCRAFT. THEY ARE CONCERNED THAT IT WILL INTERFERE. THEY HAVE PUSHED A BILL THROUGH THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. THERE IS A MORATORIUM ON TURBINES. THEY NEED TO STUDY THE IMPACT. WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT. THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. TURBINE OPPONENTS ARGUE THAT IT WILL LEAD -- LEAVE IF THE PROJECT LIVES. CALIFORNIANS HAVE BEEN LOOKING INTO THIS. THEY HAVE A HUGE DESERT AREA. IT HAS NO IMPACT WHATSOEVER. THE PIONEER ENERGY GROUP BENDING A VERY WORK TOGETHER. IF WE SHUT DOWN OUR TURBINE DURING TESTING TIMES, THE READER WILL NOT BE AFFECTED. ELECTED OFFICIALS INTERVENED. OR PROJECT CANNOT MOVE FORWARD. THESE PEOPLE CONSIDER THE TURBINE PROJECT A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY. IT IS INSIDIOUS OF LEGISLATION OF THIS SORT WHERE THE ECONOMIC INTERESTS OF THE DEVELOPED AREAS OF THE PUTTER HEAD OF THE ECONOMIC INTERESTS OF THE MOST IMPOVERISHED AREAS. ACCORDING TO THE HOUSE CLERK, THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE WAS PRESENTED WITH THE LEGISLATION TODAY. HE HAS 30 DAYS TO SIGN IT OR VETO THE MEASURE.